January

Sorry I have been a bit quiet lately, I have been out 9 times, with very similar results even though conditions have changed, most trips have resulted in 2 legal snapper(27cm), plus a few undersize ones. There seem to be nothing but small ones at times, and they have seriouse teeth, mostly one or two quick pulls too fast to strike at and even well wrapped baits are reduced to a tangle of elastic and skin or a backbone if using anchovies or pilchards, sometimes they manage to hook themselves as well



The last time was Monday which was a public holiday for Auckland anniversary day, I arrived at 5am, and there were allready 8 rods there, when I left at 9-30 as the above photo shows there were at least 30 rods and only the very occasional bite between all of them. By sunrise at 6-30 even the small ones had dissapeared



Both of the fish I kept had taken the bait before I put the rod in a hole in the rock



Ah well, the snapper for Judy and the kahawai in the freezer for smoking.

We have an El Ninio weather season with more easterly winds, good for calming the west coast swells, and with an ex tropical cyclone tracking south down the Tasman sea, today there is only a feeble one foot of swell, much too calm to expect anything except at night, and then only small fish.
I should have taken the boat out, but with school holidays, the weather or tide times have not cooperated, finding a park for car and trailer this time of year can be hard, soon I promise.

You'll need a big Rizla for that kahawai

Great report thanks Rhod

We have different problems in January

Nice to see a few fish though

Good report and pictures Rhod looks a nice spot to fish.

Yes it is a great spot, but the right hand corner right at the front is the most consistent as there is usually a current running from L to R and the fish expect food there.

Another super report mate looks a busy spot

Thanks Stevo, I don't usually go on saturdays or public holidays but I was only staying for a few hours, I might as well have gone home at 6-30 around sunrise as I only had a couple of tweaks from then on.
Surprisingly sundays early are often not crowded, but can be later on with day trippers, I think religeon and family obligations play a part.
Sea conditions play the biggest part there, one or two days after a big swell stirs things up and drops to safe (up to 4ft) would be my favourite, with the 8 hours over high my pick, but fishing can make any predictions useless. I just had a look in last years diary and January then was similarly poor.
Just to cheer you all up the water temperature here was 23.3C last sunday, a couple of degrees warmer than it should be, Global warming? I went for a swim and it was so warm, though we have just had a storm go through which will knock it back a bit

Great pics Rhod,are you in the middle of summer there?

yes, not that it feels or looks like it this morning after a wet night!

Rhod Lloyd wrote:

yes, not that it feels or looks like it this morning after a wet night!

I used to fish at the neck of port phillip bay at Barwon head,it looks very similar to where you are.
(Victoria)There's a narrow passage for the ships and liners to get through,At low tide you can walk to the drop off,the deep water kelp is 1/2"thick

Yes, we have bull kelp here, but it has only been on the front of the rock since about 15 years ago, but was up and down the west coast before that. Many a fish and or gear or both have been lost when either the hook or the sand grip sinkers wires get caught up, there are clear gaps if the fish cooperate.